The IBSA forum was created in 2003 as a mechanism for political consultation and coordination and to bolster economic relations between India, Brazil and South Africa.

IBSA provides a platform for the three large multicultural and multiracial democracies from three different continents to engage in discussions on cooperation in areas like agriculture, trade, defence and culture.

The three countries have a total combined population of nearly 1.4 million people and a combined GDP of more than 3.2 trillion dollars.

At their meeting in the Brazilian capital, foreign ministers Celso Amorin of Brazil, S.M. Krishna of India and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane of South Africa said they hoped trade among the three countries would climb from 10 billion dollars last year to 25 billion by 2015.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting, the ministers said the channel of dialogue that has been established should serve to broaden the collective voice of the South. They also called for regional cooperation mechanisms based on common experiences and complementarities.

Click here to read the complete article by Fabiana Frayssinet

[Source] — Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS)

Russia will host the first summit of leaders from the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China – the largest four emerging economies of the developing world.

The meeting represents a important milestone for the BRIC countries which have been at the forefront of global growth and foreign direct investment in emerging market in recent years.

As developed nations work to repair the crumbling global financial system, the BRIC countries will be financing their deficits, this is especially the case for the United States. Naturally, the BRIC countries are demanding a bigger role in the process of rebuilding the global financial system.

”This trip will expand mutual trust, work toward solutions on how to tackle the financial crisis, and solidify economic ties among the BRIC nations,” Li said, using the common term that is an acronym of the first letters of the four countries’ names.

“Goooooooo Team!” — BRIC Leaders

Other highlights in the realm of South-South Cooperation which will come to pass in Russia next week during this little get together of the BRIC countries include:

- The 60th Anniversary of China-Russia Cooperation

- China and Russia will sign a variety of economic, trade and cultural cooperation deals during the visit

- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a China and Russia led organization of Central Asian States. The group includes the nations of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Western observers, as reported by AP in this article, assert the group has served as a vehicle for Moscow and Beijing to limit Western influence in energy-rich Central Asia.

Personally, I don’t think Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan or any of those other countries mentioned above in Central Asia where at the top of the U.S. “to-do” list to woo until the war in Afghanistan. The comment no less holds true considering that times have changed.

- Leaders from Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan and India have been invited and will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as “observers”

That pretty much sums it up. Check back next week for more updates on this topic as the meet and greets begin in Russia. ChinaSouthAmerica will be keeping up to date and bring you all the drama as it unfolds.

CNBC’s website is bombarding readers with articles about this Jimmy Rogers interview. If you follow this site, or if you happen to keep your eyes and ears open for Jimmy Rogers in your daily information news sessions, you know he really is not saying anything he hasn’t said before.

Basic conclusion – when the reality of printing so much cash catches up with the major economies of the world, people are going to realize their stock gains are in worthless, debased currencies. When this happens, hard assets and the companies producing them will flourish. Demand for copper and steel are not going to disappear, but is just may greatly diminish for U.S. Bonds and Dollar assets if hyper inflation hits.

Get the picture?

“We’re trying to achieve stakes in mines,” Jain said today in an interview at a Moscow nuclear forum organized by Rosatom Corp., the country’s nuclear holding company. The company is discussing buying into sites including the untapped Elkon deposit in Russia’s Far East, he added.

India, which suffers peak power shortages of as much as 17 percent, needs uranium to fuel 28 planned reactors and meet a target of adding 40,000 megawatts of nuclear generation by 2020. The second most-populous nation will seek an annual 1,500 metric tons of uranium for 60 years to fuel new reactors, Jain said.

“We’re exploring the possibility of a long-term partnership and not only for uranium supplies,” he said. India proposed building 220- to 500-megawatt reactors in Kazakhstan, which doesn’t yet have any nuclear power plants, he added.

[Crude Oil] — Crude Oil Advances as U.S. Consumer Confidence Increases, Equities Climb
Crude oil rose to a six-month high after a report showed that U.S. consumer confidence jumped to the highest level since September, signaling demand may rebound.

[Copper] – Copper Climbs in N.Y. as U.S. Consumer Sentiment Jumps Most in Six Years
Copper prices rose in New York and London after a report showed U.S. consumer sentiment jumped this month to the most positive since September.

[Gold] — Gold May Climb to Record $1,250, Standard Bank Says: Technical Analysis
Gold may target a record $1,250 an ounce as a continuation head-and-shoulders pattern may be forming within a longer-term trend, Standard Bank Group Ltd. said, citing trading patterns.

[Platinum, Palladium] – Platinum, Palladium Fall in New York on Weak Auto-Industry Demand Outlook
Platinum fell the most in two weeks in New York on concern that auto-industry demand for the metal will take longer to recover than other parts of the economy. Palladium futures also declined.

[Corn] — Corn Falls as Dry Spell Allows U.S. Farmers to Accelerate Delayed Planting
Corn fell, erasing an earlier gain, on speculation that Midwest farmers accelerated plantings delayed by rain, improving prospects for output in the U.S., the world’s largest exporter.

Mumbai, The bilateral trade between India and Brazil is targeted to reach USD 10 billion by 2010 in view of the new dynamics of South-South cooperation, accelerated by recession hitting the West, CII International Trade Panel Chairperson Harshbeena Zaveri said today.

”The bilateral trade between the two countries has grown from a mere 500 million US dollars in 2000 to 3.12 billion US dollars in 2007 and is targeted to reach USD 10 billion by 2010”, Ms Zaveri, who is also president of NRB Bearings Pvt Ltd said during a conference with the Brazilian industry delegation, that is visiting the to give an impetus to trade and investment.

Click here to access the complete article from ChennaiVision

India’s Sensex index surged 17% Monday, forcing a halt trading for the first time ever after the daily limits where breached.

The Indian rupee appreciated 3% against the dollar and the benchmark bond yield fell 12 basis points, the most in weeks according to this Bloomberg article.

Here is what some of the “financial experts” had to offer Bloomberg and the Financial Times (click links to access each respective article).

“Markets are euphoric,” said Rahul Chadha, the Hong Kong- based head of Indian equities at Mirae Asset Global Investment, with $46 billion in global equities. “The focus by federal and state governments on development will lead to a structural re- rating of India.”

“The election result is extremely positive and very, very bullish,” Madhusudan Kela, head of equities at Mumbai-based Reliance Capital Asset Management, the nation’s largest money manager overseeing $18 billion of assets, said in an interview. “This will provide a government which is stable and has powers to take decisions.”

“India is potentially looking at a decade of good reforms and growth,” said Glenn Maguire, chief Asia Pacific economist at Societe Generale in Hong Kong. “This is a pretty big outcome.

By Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva

This week I will have the honor to be the first Brazilian President to officially travel to Saudi Arabia. I retain fond memories of the visit in 2000 of the then Crown Prince to Brazil. Since then, numerous high level visits have further strengthened the ties between our two countries and peoples.

Brazil prides itself on having roots in the rich cultural heritage of Arab civilization. Successive waves of immigrants from the Middle East have made their way to Brazil in search of a new horizons and a better life. Over the years they have contributed to forging present-day Brazil and to its diverse human landscape. Arab values, tastes and sensibilities are today an integral part of what it means to be Brazilian.

My trip to Saudi Arabia aims to explore and enhance these many-faceted affinities and the opportunities for cooperation that they offer. Much has been achieved over recent years, but much remains to be done if we are to fully realize the potential of two thriving economies that are making their mark on the global scene.

[China - Bahrain] – Bahrain reviews construction ties with China
Co-operation between Bahrain and China in the construction sector was discussed at a key meeting.

Minster of State for Foreign Affairs and Tamkeen chairman Dr Nazar Al Baharna met a Chinese business delegation and discussed various issues of mutual interest.

Development of programmes that can reduce the dependency of construction companies on unskilled labour by introducing machinery and technological solutions was also highlighted.

[India - Kenya] – Kenya, India to beef up ties in small industry sector
In yet another indication of India’s growing interest in the East African region, the country’s National Small Industries Corp (NSIC) has signed an agreement with Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) to strengthen cooperation in the small scale industry sector.

KIE is a state-run agency of Kenya to promote indigenous entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises (SME).

According to media reports here, the partnership involves technology transfer, and marks a major step towards improving Kenya’s quality standards in manufacturing, production and human resources.

“The government is keen to forge a viable partnership with friendly countries, particularly in the spirit of south-south cooperation,” Kenyan Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey was quoted as saying.

[Asia - Africa] – Asian Foreign Direct Investment in Africa
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa by developing Asian economies is growing and has the potential to reach much higher levels. The present report notes that Africa-bound FDI is still a small percentage of the rapidly climbing foreign investments being made by Asian transnational corporations.

The rapid economic growth in Asia can be expected to lead to increased Asian investments in Africa, in both natural resources and manufacturing. In particular, the rapid industrial upgrading taking place in Asia provides ample opportunities for Africa to attract efficiency-seeking and export-oriented FDI from Asian economies.

It is a beautiful process when a democratic country experiences a peaceful transition of leadership.

India’s voters have spoken. On one side, celebrations swept India as supporters of the Congress Party celebrated their victory.

On the other, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, conceded defeat.

“The party accepts the verdict of the voters will full respect.”

The Congress Party won as many as 260 seats. This puts Congress just short of a independent majority, but close enough to be able to form a stable coalition.

Good news for financial markets, which will welcome a stronger government with more capacity to push through market reforms. Expect Bombay’s stock exchange to rally on Monday.

[China - Trinadad & Tobago] – Alutrint: Chinese labor needed due to lack of local expertise
China’s EXIM bank placed as a condition on its consent to provide a US$400mn loan to the Trinidad & Tobago government to build the Alutrint aluminum smelter – in the La Brea region of Trinidad island – that the project hire Chinese contractor CMEC to provide labor and technology for the plant, Alutrint manager of communications and community relations Josieann Richards told BNamericas.

[China - Russia] – Chinese Envoy to Russia: Oil Pipeline Serves Strategic Goals of Both Sides
The construction of the China-Russia oil pipeline conforms with the strategic goals of China and Russia to diversify the former’s energy imports and latter’s energy exports, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang has said.

[South Korea - Peru] — Peru hopes to complete 70% of FTA talks with Korea this week
Peru hopes to complete 70 percent of free trade negotiations with South Korea this week because of the similarities found between the two negotiating teams, allowing them to progress quickly, Peruvian chief negotiator Nathan Nadramija said Monday.

During the first round of FTA Negotiations in Seoul on March 16, both countries successfully concluded four chapters relating to electronic commerce, border services, as well as two other chapters related to institutional issues.

[India - Argentina - Bolivia] — Jindal Begins Producing Gas in Bolivia for Export to Argentina
India’s Jindal Steel & Power has started producing natural gas in Bolivia that will be exported to Argentina, a company executive told Efe on Monday.

Luis Carlos Kinn, manager of Jindal subsidiary Gas to Liquids Internacional S.A., confirmed the successful completion of the first production test at the well drilled in the El Palmar field, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Santa Cruz, the capital of the likenamed eastern province.

[Chile - Bolivia] – Chile Open to Tunnel Proposal Giving Bolivia Access to Sea
The Chilean government is willing to study the proposal by a group of architects that would provide landlocked Bolivia with access to the sea through a tunnel to an artificial island in the Pacific Ocean.

[Venezuela - Angola] — Venezuelan Government Bank BANDES To Open Branch in Angola
Jesus Alberto Garcia, Venezuelan ambassador to Angola, stated in an interview with Radio Nacional de Angola that Banco de Desarrollo Económico y Social de Venezuela (BANDES), the state development bank of Venezuela, will open a branch in Angola. He added, “This is one of the main things President Chavez wants to do with Africa.” Branches of BANDES outside of Latin America and the Caribbean include Syria and the Republic of Mali.

[Latin America - Spain] — Spain Wants Closer Ties with Latin America
Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Monday that the upcoming bicentennials of Latin American independence should be used to promote Spanish and European Union ties to the region.

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